This month, presenter Jenny Buckley gives us a sneak peek into her fridge and takes us through her average daily dietry pattern and exercise regime.
Jenny Buckley
Body Stats:
Height – 5’ 7
Weight – 9 stone
Size – 10
Food diary from an average day:
Breakfast – Porridge with blueberries (made with hot water) and a large black coffee.
Mid-Morning Snack – Avocado with balsamic vinegar.
Lunch – Breast of chicken with green beans and broccoli.
Afternoon Snack – Half a bar of dark Lindt chocolate.
Dinner – Scrambled eggs on brown bread.
Late Night Snack – Jellies.
Exercise:
I have an 18-month-old little girl so I tend to walk Howth Hill with her at least three times a week. It helps Jude have a better night sleep and it helps me clear my head. I also do a TRX class in Baldoyle with a guy called Drew Hennesey. It’s a tough grind but I feel completely elated afterwards. I’m a member of a local gym called KIWI FIT in Sutton Cross, so when I get the time I tend to work out at least twice a week.
Supplements:
I take Rubex Vitamin C twice a day and Lysine and Magnesium supplements.
Diet/Detox:
I never diet or detox, but after a few weeks in Spain eating rich food with too many glasses of wine, a detox is probably very much needed!
Biggest Weakness:
My biggest weakness is sugar – I can’t seem to get through the day without it. Chocolate is my biggest vice; any kind, any type, I absolutely love it.
Discipline:
The only time I’m disciplined is when I have a holiday coming up, so once a year I will cut out carbs for a week or so. Other than that I’m pretty active but I will always fall down on the food side.
We take a sneak peek at the contents of Jenny’s fridge
Expert Opinion:
Hi Jenny,
First off I’d like to say a big well done; your activity level for a mother with a young child is brilliant. Many people tend to use children as their ‘get out’ card from exercise, but not you, and the variety is important. You’ve got steady state with the walking and more intense forms with the TRX and gym sessions. Balance is the key with everything, including training.
I really like your mid-morning snack; the avocado mixed with the balsamic vinegar delivers a tasty good source of fats. You seem to hit a bit of a slump just after midday onwards where you seem to eat your majority of carbs. Chocolate, jellies and bread are all quite high in carbs and the first two contain lots of sugar. This sugar delivery at this time of night can stop our fat loss capability in its tracks and creeping calories from things like jellies always cause problems in the long run.
I would tend to swap the eggs and bread for a mid-morning snack and push the chicken salad/veggies to dinner. Remember, carbs are your main source of energy so try to have them in the portion of the day when you’re most active. If you must have a treat, which is ok in small amounts, earlier in the day or quite soon after you finish training should be the time to have it. Try to avoid having it last thing at night.
Discussing detox briefly; you can’t beat good old clean eating to get your body working for you, even after a holiday. Lean proteins, low sugar fruits, vegetables, nuts and water are all the body needs to be running at full capacity and the best detox anyone could begin.
You mentioned that you always fall down on the food side. This is ok, remember discipline is only a state of mind. Have your 2-3 cheat meals or treats a week but schedule them in around your clean eating and pick the times you will enjoy them most. If you are eating 6 meals a day, 7 days a week and only 3 are bad, that’s still 39 solid meals. This, in the long run, will help you remain in the best possible shape. So yes, you heard it right: have scheduled cheat meals as they will actually help in the long run!
Hope this helps you out Jenny!
If anyone has any questions on this article or any previous articles, you can get in contact by emailing mark@bodybyrne.ie I would be happy to answer your fitness and nutrition questions.
Thanks,
Mark O’ Reilly
Answered by Mark O Reilly. Mark is a trainer at BodyByrne Fitness, Clarendon Street, Dublin 2. For more information on training and nutrition contact www.bodybyrne.ie or Twitter @bodybyrne.